Pick-up truck tailgates are used to close the rear opening of a pick-up truck cargo box. A popular feature for pick-up truck tailgates is the ability to remove the tailgate without requiring tools. In one current design, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,644,973 (the '973 patent) (assigned to the assignee of this patent application), a hinge for a tailgate is disclosed that is secured between the side of the tailgate and the D-pillar at the rear of the truck bed. The location of the hinge on the D-pillar creates a load path through a complex joint to the load carrying sill with the D-pillar only being supported at the base of the D-pillar. Side-to-side movement of the tailgate may be addressed by shimming the hinge but this tends to be a time consuming procedure. This design provides a low cost tailgate hinge that is easy to assemble and easy to remove.
An issue with the tailgate disclosed in the '973 patent is that free play between the D-pillars caused by excessive acceleration while turning or road load inputs could result in disengagement of the tailgate from the truck. In the '973 patent, an anti-chucking bracket and striker are proposed to reduce side-to-side movement of the tailgate. One disadvantage of the design proposed in the '973 patent is that the bracket and striker add weight to the vehicle. Another disadvantage is the cost of assembling the bracket and striker to the vehicle.
The above problems and other problems are addressed by this disclosure as summarized below.